Scholarly opinion is divided as to whether those who practice circumcision (literally, “the ones who are being circumcised”) are identical with the people Paul is talking about in verse 12. Some hold that in verse 13 Paul is referring in a general way to all who accept the validity of circumcision, both in Galatia and elsewhere. Others interpret this to refer to those among the Galatian Gentile Christians who have submitted to circumcision through the influence of the false teachers. A third view is that the reference is to the false teachers themselves. Most translators preserve some degree of ambiguity (Knox “they do not even observe the law, although they adopt circumcision”; compare Jerusalem Bible). The merit of this position is that it makes it easier to explain the remaining parts of the verse, as is seen below. In any case, those who practice circumcision should not be understood merely in the sense of “those who cause others to be circumcised,” but primarily in the sense of “those who cause themselves to be circumcised.”

What is accented in Paul’s statement that these people do not obey the Law is not their inability to follow the law but their indifference toward obeying it. There is a touch of sarcasm in Paul’s tone; in a sense he is saying “They want you to follow the Law, but they themselves don’t obey it!” As in so many contexts, do not obey the Law may be rendered as “do not do what the Law commands,” or “… the laws command.” The passive form to be circumcised may be expressed actively as “they want to circumcise you.”

The motive of these people in wanting the Galatians circumcised is so that they can boast that you submitted to this physical ceremony (literally, “so that they may glory in your flesh”), which is very similar to the statement in the first part of verse 12. As there, but even more so here, “flesh” has reference to the rite of circumcision. These people were probably boasting, perhaps to the Jews, that they had gotten Gentiles to be circumcised and therefore technically to become members of the Jewish community. You submitted to this physical ceremony may be simply rendered as “you allowed yourselves to be circumcised,” or “… for them to circumcise you.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .